Fights
“This fight probably changes Eduard’s market value” – Aslanbek Badayev on Vartanyan’s debut in the “Nashe Delo” league
Vice-president of the ASA league Aslanbek Badayev commented on the match between Eduard Vartanyan in the Nashe Delo league against Alexander Grozin for Match TV.
The fight with Grozin at the Nashe Delo 85 tournament in St. Petersburg was the first MMA fight for Eduard Vartanyan since June 2023, when the athlete won the ACA Grand Prix, defeating Artem Reznikov by technical knockout. At the Nashe Delo promotion tournament in St. Petersburg, Vartanyan competed in the welterweight division and defeated Alexander Grozin by decision.
— Do you plan to hold negotiations with Vartanyan before the end of 2024?
— The ASA League is planning negotiations. In principle, these negotiations were conducted before the fight, before Eduard Vartanyan’s performance at this tournament, but in principle we had nothing to offer Edik at the tournament in August, which was filled with 21 fights, and the conditional stars capable of fighting with Edik were unavailable. And we agreed that Eduard would fight at “Nashe Delo”.
— Does the fight with Grozin, as a fait accompli, influence these negotiations?
— Our interest in Edik has not dropped at all. We wanted to bring him back to the ACA league, and we still want to. Another thing is that this probably changes his market value. As I said, I previously assumed that rust would affect Eduard. In June 2023, after the victory over Artem Reznikov, we saw the best period in Eduard Vartanyan’s career, he was at the peak of both fighting and media. And it was there that the big money we offered him was justified. But now, I think it would be fair to lower the bar. Why? Because Edik has not fought for us for over a year. By the time of his fight, and this is December at best, he will have been absent from our league for a year and a half. Plus, there was only one performance under MMA rules in these one and a half years. Not the most spectacular, and not the most confident. Therefore, I think it will be fair if Eduard’s fee is lower than what it was after his victory over Reznikov.
— Did you watch the fight as an MMA fan or as the ACA vice president who needs to negotiate with this fighter?
— I watched the fight, of course, as an MMA fan, because then you look at the fight a little differently. Before the fight, I made some assumptions, and after the fight, I make some conclusions, as a functionary, as a person who, as a promoter, can sign Edik. But it was while watching that I immersed myself in the fight itself. Well done Grozin. The guy was fast, decisive, confident. He wanted to fight standing, he wanted to hack and slash. He has good speed, good defense against takedowns. Edik worked pragmatically, worked for the result. It was clear that he was not keeping up with his speed somewhere, and his functionality sagged a little, to be honest. And it is one thing to defend against a fight, and another thing to attack yourself. Usually, Edik had to defend himself from a fight, but here he attacked himself. And this requires more energy. Not the best performance in Eduard Vartanyan’s career, that’s obvious. But for a neutral viewer, it was a normal fight. Nothing special: One tried to fight standing, the other tried to wrestle, to control.
— Would you like to see Vartanyan fight Magomed Sulumov, a lightweight who also won this tournament?
— From the point of view of a fan, I am not very interested in this fight. From the point of view of a promoter, I am also not interested in this fight, because I am interested in returning Edik to the ASA League. But, from the point of view of a friend of Sulumov, yes, I will be happy if he gets such a fight and gets the opportunity to fight in such a duel, — Badayev told Match TV.
Live broadcasts of mixed martial arts tournaments can be seen on the Match TV and Match! Fighter TV channels, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Source: Sportbox
Olympic champion and former interim WBA super featherweight champion Albert Batyrgaziev decided to take a break from his professional career.
At the beginning of July in Istanbul at the “IBA.PRO 8” tournament, Batyrgaziev lost early to the British James Dickens and lost the IBA.PRO champion and interim WBA champion titles in the second featherweight division. For the 27-year-old Russian, this was the first defeat in his professional career.
— I want to tell you honestly about my plans. Many people ask about their future career. Now I have decided to take a conscious break from my professional career. For me, boxing has been and remains a huge part of my life. Therefore, this choice is now very difficult. My whole sports life has been a race to the top: four Russian championships, an Olympic medal in Tokyo and then turning professional, where I went undefeated.
The last fight on July 2 was a turning point for me. The first defeat made me look at many things differently. I thank Allah for the trials and mercies that helped me become a better person. Since I have always felt a responsibility not only in the ring, but also before society, now is the time to become more active in projects that I have long planned, for example, supporting the development of sports infrastructure in my native regions. This doesn’t mean I’m saying goodbye to the ring. I remain an active boxer. But now all my work is outside of it. I thank everyone for their incredible support along this path: both in moments of triumph and in moments of challenge. She gives strength. I promise this new chapter will be just as honest and purposeful. I’m not saying goodbye, I’m just saying “goodbye,” Batyrgaziev wrote in the Telegram channel.
Batyrgaziev won gold in the weight category up to 57 kg at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. In the professional ring he has 12 wins and one loss.
Source: Sportbox
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.
Arman Tsarukyan / Photo: © Chris Unger / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru
Russian UFC fighter Arman Tsarukyan said that he will give his compatriot Sharabutdin Magomedov, nicknamed Shara Bullet, an apartment in Yerevan if he defeats him in a grappling fight.
The fight is scheduled for December 30 and should take place in Yerevan.
“If Shara wins against me, then I will personally give him an apartment in Yerevan,” Tsarukyan said in a video published on the Red Corner MMA page on the X social network.
Tsarukyan defeated New Zealander Dan Hooker by submission in the second round at UFC Fight Night 265 in November 2025. He has 23 wins and three losses in MMA.
Middleweight Magomedov fought his last fight in July 2025 at the UFC on ABC 9 tournament, defeating Canadian Marc-Andre Barrio by unanimous decision. The Russian has 16 wins and one loss.
Watch mixed martial arts tournaments live on the Match TV and Match! Fighter”, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Source: Sportbox
The injuries received by British boxer Anthony Joshua in a road accident in Nigeria turned out to be more serious than expected, and the British boxer’s future career is in question, reports the Daily Mail.
On Monday, on a section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Lexus SUV Joshua was in collided with a stationary truck. It was reported that the 36-year-old boxer, who was sitting behind the driver, received minor injuries and was hospitalized.
Promotion company Matchroom Boxing later said two of Joshua’s friends and team members, Sina Gami and Latifah Ayodele, died as a result of the accident.
“Joshua’s condition is stable and he will remain in the hospital under observation,” the organization said in a statement.
However, the media, citing sources close to the fighter, note that Joshua’s injuries were more serious than previously reported. It is assumed that the athlete injured his ribs and knee, and also suffered psychological trauma.
Olympic champion Joshua defeated American blogger Jake Paul in a fight in Miami on December 19. In total, he has 29 victories and four defeats in the professional ring.
Source: Sportbox
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.
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